By Hassan Osman Kargbo
It is disheartening to note that Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that supposed to speak for the masses are busy singing songs of praises for the government and government officials.
The sole responsibility of these CSOs is to speak on issues bordering on the masses, so that they can put the government on their toes for the betterment of the country.
People expect CSOs to be independent and committed to a cause that will enhance the growth of the country. There are lot of things that needs to be uncovering by the CSOs in the country, but if they have chosen not to play their role the masses will continue to suffer in the hands of those wicked politicians in the country.
Sierra Leone is a nation where people have little or no ideas when it comes to governance issues, so if CSOs that are charged with the responsibilities to check and cross-check government activities are busy doing things that is contrary to their work; there is little or no way the country will reach its wishes and aspirations of making the country attains international standard.
The CSOs have a watch-dog role to place in holding ineffective and rogue government to accountability. Some CSOs have sold their integrity for a merge sum of money which has led them to sweep a lot of things of sensitive issues of national interest under the rogue.
The Bio-led administration has made progress towards safeguarding and upholding freedom of expressions in the country which CSOs should have taken advantage of by hitting hard on issues that they think is not going right in the country; but rather, CSOs have been reticent on issue that is affecting the common man in the country.
There are lots of corruptions scandals that are going around in many Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that needs urgent actions, but lack of active CSOs in the country; government officials are just doing things anyhow which might hinder the progress of the country’s development going forward.
CSOs ought to have it at the back of their minds that posterity will judge them, if they failed to work sincerely within their mandates. The country is facing abject poverty while the rest of the world is steadily progressing with development.
As a journalist, I expect those CSOs to boldly and confidently look at those government officials on their faces and tell them the HARD FACT, instead of just focusing on their own interest while the country is going down the drain.
Things have been like this for ages and it will always remind like this if our CSOs are not ready to take the bull by its horns for corrupt government officials to change their dubious ways of doing things for the betterment of the country. The CSOs need to eschew their bad games (laybellehsm and attack collect approach) and work for the people of the country.
